


Peace Lily's

by OrianaGray



Category: The Adventure Zone (Podcast)
Genre: Angst, Character Study, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Funerals, Grief, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Mentions of Death, Mentions of Merle - Freeform, Mourning
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-12
Updated: 2017-01-12
Packaged: 2018-09-16 23:47:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,346
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9295004
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OrianaGray/pseuds/OrianaGray
Summary: Over the years Taako has developed a very specific hatred towards a certain flower, Kravitz is confused, and funerals are the worst.





	

**Author's Note:**

> This is really just a character study if anything

A very common flower to receive after the loss of a loved one is a peace lily. It is a simple flower with a thick deep green stem, a large cup like petal white as fine silk that curves protectively around a spiked but not quite sharp center spadix. The exterior was soft and they were typically easy to care for, and opened doors for compliments and even understanding- on the right occasion that it. Peace Lily’s extremely simple and yet had a humble approach, it looked as if a hand were cupping a candle, or the protection of something pure.

 

Taako hated them. 

 

Peace lily’s had unintentionally become one of the things that absolutely made Taako squirm or glare, he could not stare at them for long. It was not an allergy, more like a certain  _ development _ . It is not hard for the wizard to think back to his younger days when he traveled from caravan to caravan, cooking and doing small errands. When you're on the road with others like that- it’s very likely you will become attached, and occasionally- those others will drop dead, as they seemed to do when around Taako.

 

Then they came, in buckets they would arrive- little notes of “I’m sorry” and “In loving memory”, sentimental shit that frankly was not Taako’s smile. The stench that followed them, a springy odor that lingered in the sleeping car’s, the glow of their white petals staring down at him like ghostly eyes in the night, eyes of the people he had lost- it became a habit to pull the covers over his head and sob. Loss hurt, it did- Taako hated feeling helpless, hated knowing that he could not bring them back, or perhaps he never said goodbye, loss fucking hurts. It’s hard to move on especially, when he had to wake in the morning and see those buckets, reminding him once more, they were gone.

 

It goes without saying that Glamour Springs was the worst. Taako had high tailed it out of there when the crowd began to drop, of course- but he knew that he had some shred of morality inside of him, so he showed up to the funeral. It was a mass funeral, thick tensioned and melancholy, he stood in the back- heavily obscured in the large crowd- face hidden behind glasses and hair done up so it was not seen- he had looked much different, dark hair that he could pull out in clumps from the stress that stirred within him- tired eyes, and a red flush in his cheeks from the heated nights of sobbing and clawing at them.

 

Hundreds had shown, weeping family's, mourning parents, grandparents, siblings, children who had lost a parent that didn’t quite understand what was happening (when they did, Takako's knees near gave out as the agonized cries erupted out) friends, lovers- you name it all showed in their finest black attire, wide tear ridden eyes, and a Peace Lily pinned neatly just to the right of their hearts. He can hear it sometimes, the sobs and exchanges- the crying out of  _ why _ and  _ they were so young _ , each time his hand touched his own peace lily, each time- he thought of a nameless face in a crowd, Later on there were the buckets of them, more than he had ever seen, decorating the streets- the houses, the stench was morbid, the guilt? Even worse.

 

So when Kravitz stood on his doorstep for their regular date night, a warm smile on his otherwise cold face, and held out a peace lily- the brightest one Taako had ever seen at that- the Elf promptly slammed the door on the reaper's face with a squawk. He turned abruptly, slamming his back against the door and covering his mouth with a shaky green hand, s startled choke came from the other side of the door. “Taako?” Kravitz says, his voice laced with confusion, “Taako? What’s wrong?”

 

“Don’t… don’t come in, a moment Krav, I-” Taako pauses, his voice was cracky- he hadn’t encountered one of those damn things in  _ years _ (no one brings flowers on the fucking moon but Merle, and those are all poppy’s for whatever reason.)  _ Where’s mom? Will she be here soon?  _ Taako inhales sharply,  _ She’s... Here already. _ “...I can’t come up with an excuse.”  _ Where? I don’t see her? _ Taako felt something hot pooling in his stomach, guilt, grief, and the fear that had stood within him all those years ago. It wasn’t his fault, it wasn’t his fault, but he was still the one that dished it out, “I can’t breathe.” He gasps,  _ the voice of the cleric were soft and sad as she read the list of names, somewhere- near Taako, a familiar voice of a child screams and cries out as her mother’s name is called.  _

 

“Taako,  _ what _ ? I’m coming in.” The only response was a choked grunt, a rip erupts from in front of Taako, and Kravitz steps through- twisting his wrist in a casual manner as his scythe dissipates. He is met unexpectedly- with Taako sinking to his knees, head in his hands- eyes staring blankly forward. Kravitz places the flower on a table, kneeling down beside Taako, “Hey,  _ hey _ _ ,  _ Taako- it’s me, Kravitz,you’re boyfriend, Kravitz... I’m here to help.” He hesitantly reaches his hands forward-  _ A young boy grabs at his mother's hand, staring at a box much smaller than the others- one that held a eight year old halfling, _ Taako flinches away. “Okay, I won’t touch you, but you have to tell me what’s wrong.”

 

“Peace Lily’s.” Taako mutters,  _ A mother places a white flower, a peace lily, on her daughter's grave, _ “They’re awful, I hate them.” Kravitz frowns, clearly not convinced, but none the less- a simple mutter of words and the accursed flower is banished from the apartment- the effect however, were still apparent. Kravitz hesitates a moment, before sitting beside Taako, legs pulled into his chest and a concerned expression contorting his face. _ The grave of a teenager is filled, promptly a moment later- the deceased sister lays down on the grave, staring silently above- and whispering apologies as well as moments lost in elvish to her brother that laid six feet below her.  _

 

“Taako, I want to help.” Kravitz says after a few short pauses, his eyes scan the elf and continues on though he see’s no actual sign that Taako is listening, “Is it, is it about  _ them _ ?”  _ Eyes so many eyes, sobs- agony ringed out through his head like gunfire.  _ A pause, a breath, and a shaky nod. Kravitz lips draw taught, thinking carefully, “Funeral flowers aren’t your forte, of course they wouldn’t be. I should have known- Taako. I’m so-” He startles as Taako grabs his shoulders wide tear stricken eyes stared at him, stared  _ through _ him.

 

“You didn’t know, don’t fucking apologize,  _ please _ .” The voice that came from the voice was so, simply put,  _ not  _ Taako. It was quiet, it was fearful- it was everything Kravitz knew Taako simultaneously was and apparently was not at the same time.”There isn’t- I don’t think there is really anything you can do to help- other than please, just- never bring them in here. That’s all I want…” Kravitz nods, reaching his hand up to gently cradle Takako's cheek. 

 

“I think I can make that work.” He says softly, Taako leans into the touch, his shaking hand reaching and gripping at Kravitz's wrist as a somewhat makeshift lifeline, “I’m assuming our rendezvous is going to take a rain check?” Taako snorts, rubbing harshly at the tears with the heel of his free hand in a childish manner- he made no noise when he cried, a trait that both perplexed and unnerved Kravitz.

 

“I’m a bit of a wreck, yeah, would you mind a homebound date night?”  He smiles warmly- eyes crinkling at the corners, “We could play some go fish or something?” He tries to stand, a small sniffle coming from him, Kravitz immediately steadies Taako- rising beside him as well. 

 

“I would like nothing more.” 

  
  


**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! Love if you would dop by and say Hiya on:
> 
> Twitter: oriana_gray  
> Tumblr orianagray.tumblr.com  
> Instagram: oriana_gray
> 
> Have a lovely day!


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